noun
inefficiency
in-ih-FISH-uhn-see/ˌɪnɪˈfɪʃnsi/
Wasteful or unproductive use of time, energy, or resources.
The cluttered workshop contributes to inefficiency as the worker searches for tools.
Etymology
Efficiency first meant the power to accomplish something; its technical sense compares useful work with energy spent. The negative prefix marks a shortfall in effectiveness, now applied to time, effort, and resources.
In context
we have too much demand for fuel. It keeps going up too quickly while production goes down. And our primary means of solving this problem is to reduce waste and inefficiency.
More examples
- Repeated data entry was a major source of inefficiency.
- The old engine’s inefficiency increased fuel consumption.
- They redesigned the workflow to reduce inefficiency.
Forms
inefficiency · inefficiencies
inefficient adjective — wasting effort or resources
Similar words
- wastefulness
- Wastefulness emphasizes squandered resources; inefficiency emphasizes poor results relative to effort or resources used.
- incompetence
- Incompetence means lack of ability; inefficiency can result from a bad system despite capable workers.